Lover Mine Releases Today!

It's officially April 27, release day for Lover Mine. While I continue to wrestle with my Nook to no avail (it's the 27th, give me my bloody book you electronic bastard!), I'll leave you all with this hopeful quote from the story, courtesy of JR's message board:


"God, he loved life. Loved life and everyone in this house and all the people of worth in all the corners of the world. Fate was not easy... but it got things right. Eventually, everything was exactly how it was meant to be."


And a link to this review at Wicked Little Pixie. No spoilers, just an honest reaction that has me itching to get a copy of the book into my hands.

Happy release day!

~Lily

T Minus 1 Day Until Lover Mine

Tomorrow is the big day, the release of Lover Mine.

JR Ward's books have captivated many and been translated into a host of other languages. While some of the non-US covers aren't as great as the covers we in the US know and love, I do need to show some appreciation to the designer of the German covers. Check out the first five:

Dark Lover and Lover Eternal
The Dark Lover cover is a little hokey, but the Lover Eternal cover is beautiful.

Lover Awakened and Lover Revealed
Same here, the figure on the Lover Awakened cover is odd,
while the Lover Revealed design is cool.

And I must say, I truly love the German cover for Lover Unbound. Beautiful.

What do you think?

~Lily

Review - Wait Till Helen Comes

I was child of the 80s, meaning I was born in the early 80s and while I truly came of age in the 90s, my formative years will forever be tied to the decade of excess.

Why bring this up? As I was waltzing through the aisle of my local Books-A-Million yesterday, and I do mean waltzing, I was brought up short by a center aisle display featuring this book:


Now you have to admit, it's a cool cover, especially for a kid's book. Beautifully rendered, eerie... haunting, for lack of a better word. And although I love young adult novels, I don't normally waste my time on the middlegrade novels. They just don't do anything for me. But this cover stopped me...and that was before I saw the title.

Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

Holy Mother of Childhood flashbacks! Wait Till Helen Comes is the first paranormal novel I ever read. It was originally released in 1986, and I believe I was in second or third grade when I read it. Of course, back then the cover looked like this:

Ahhh, 80s cover goodness. Is that a mullet on the little girl? Why yes, I believe it is.

I remember this book vividly. I. Was. Terrified.

Not just because of the story, although it was frightening to me as a child. I was raised in a fundamentalist household. Horror, paranormal, ghost stories, all of it was forbidden. That's probably one of the reasons I like the genre so much now. If I had been caught with Wait Till Helen Comes in my schoolbag, the only book I would have been allowed to read for the subsequent decade would have been the Bible. Ghost stories were a no-no. I remember sneaking Wait Till Helen comes up to my room and locking myself inside to read, turning my dad's eight-track player up so no one would realize what I was up to. Remarkably, my grandmother didn't figure it out and I was able to continue sneaking forbidden books up to my room. Wait Till Helen Comes was the start, and I obviously still love ghost stories and tales of the paranormal.

From Hahn's website:
Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse. But they do—when Helen comes.

I can't do a full review because, let's face it, it's been about 2 decades since I read this story, but I do remember it's suspenseful and the mystery is engaging. The characters are well written. I empathized with Molly, but by the end of the story I also felt sympathy for Heather, no matter how bratty she was. Helen is frightening as a ghost because she has no redeeming qualities. Although a "child" herself, she is cruel and manipulating. In the landscape of "good" paranormal characters (sparkly, vegetarian vampires and the like), Helen was a monster.

If my memory isn't failing me, that is :)

I couldn't be happier that this beloved childhood tale is circulating around for a new generation of children. Good stories always stand the test of time.

Childhood Rating: 5/5

Maybe it's time I order a copy and reread the tale...with the new cover, of course. I have a weakness for awesome covers.

~Lily

It's Getting Closer!

The release day of Lover Mine, that is. And today's Lover Mine quote, courtesy of JR's message board, is exceptional:

"It was a proper mating gown. The kind of thing that was passed down from female to female. The sort of dress that took your breath away even if you weren't a girlie girl."

Oh Xhex, oh JM, oh, why can't today be Tuesday???

~Lily

One of my Favorite Pastimes

What can I say, I enjoy poking fun at the Twilight behemoth. All in good fun, of course.

Where to go when you're looking for some top quality snark? GraphJam.com, of course. Tell me if you've seen a Twilight themed graph more accurate than this:

Oh GraphJam, I'll never understand how you so easily and pictorially read my mind.

~Lily

Lover Mine Tribute Video

In obvious honor of the latest JR Ward upcoming release of Lover Mine, this video is absolutely fab! The maker (lunarodful on youtube) did an amazing job of blending the two scenes together and casting xhex and john matthew. I am beyond excited for this book!!!

~Helena

Interview with JR Ward

A little while ago, JR Ward did an interview with Romance Novel TV about her novella Father Mine. In it, she speaks about Zsadist, Bella, and her reasons for writing the novella, as well as the brotherhood in general.



Enjoy!

~Lily

"I Don't See an Ending"

According to a recent interview with Brotherhood author JR Ward, she doesn't see an ending for the series. For fans, this is outstanding news.

Watch all of her interview for Penguin Books here.

Only one week left!

~Lily

How Can You Make Twilight Better?

Arguably, this is one way.

~Lily

I Do Prefer My Fruit Overly Ripe and Cute, with a Side of Vampirism

Today's cartoon comes to you courtesy of Fruity Cuties. They're cute, they're fruit. There's not too much else I can say by way of introduction.

And now, for the cutest fruit murderer evar!



Check out Fruity Cuties to see their other adorable creations. Being a night owl, I'm especially fond of the banana and starfruit joke. And as a gift to Helena and her obsession with Rhage, the dragonfruit joke is also a must see.

~Lily

Brotherhood Love

Etsy is such a great site. Stupidshinydesigns is a fellow paranormal enthusiast who designs bookthongs inspired by some of the hotest paranormal reads available. Some of these beautiful bookthongs are designed in honor of the Brotherhood.

What are bookthongs? According to stupidshinydesigns:
"These bookthongs are the perfect accessories to decorate your favorite novels! Colorful durable twisted cotton/poly cords are hand beaded at both ends with an assortment of brilliant Swarovski® crystals, Czech fire polished glass beads and/or natural semi-precious stones, some displaying a charm inspired by famous characters or novels. A wonderful gift for yourself and any book lover you may know."

So bookmarks, only cooler. While stupidshinydesigns offers a variety of paranormal themed bookthongs, based on a number of characters and novels, today we're going to spotlight the Brotherhood creations.

Follow the links to find the bookthong designed with your favorite brother in mind.

Dark Lover - Wrath
Lover Eternal - Rhage
Lover Awakened - Zsadist
Lover Revealed - Butch
Lover Unbound - Vishous
Lover Enshrined - Phury
Lover Avenged - Rehvenge
Lover Mine - John Matthew
The Black Dagger Brotherhood

Stop by and check them out.

~Lily

An Odd Coincidence

It is just my (unresearched and completely biased) opinion, but Comedy Central's new cartoon Ugly Americans looks like the kind of inane cable garbage that I generally take as a symbol of the immanent apocalypse. And this is coming from a girl who *likes* the paranormal.

I haven't actually watched an episode because 1) I don't feel like sacrificing 30 minutes of my life to such banality and 2) I never claimed to be unbiased in this review so I don't feel I have to justify my opinion of the show by actually watching it. In fact, there is only one thing about Ugly Americans that intrigues me enough to write this post.

After a quick stop by the Comedy Central web site, I learned that the relatively normal looking cartoon man I've seen on the commercials for this show is one of the main characters, a human named Mark Lilly.

Now, it may be just me, but does Mark look oddly similar to anyone else in paranormal pop culture?

Someone that is, oh, maybe an *icon* of the paranormal right now?

Someone who causes grown women to act like tweens and tweens to act like they're experiencing the second coming of the Beatles?

A certain undead vegetarian heartthrob, perhaps?
Is Mark Lilly of Ugly Americans a cartoon version of Edward Cullen?

Maybe a slightly closer shot.

I leave it to you to decide.

~Lily

Upcoming Lisa Mantchev Release

You may remember that waaaayyyy back in June, we announced the then-upcoming release of Lisa Mantchev's Eyes Like Stars. Well, time has passed and Eyes Like Stars was released amidst much praise for both author and story. Now, just a few months shy of the 1 year release anniversary of Eyes Like Stars, Matchev is back with the second installment of her Threatre Illuminata series, Perchance to Dream.
Releasing May 25, Perchance to Dream continues the unique story of Beatrice Shakespeare Smith.

From Amazon:
Act Two, Scene One

Growing up in the enchanted Thèâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned everything about every play ever written. She knew the Players and their parts, but she didn’t know that she, too, had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and determined to follow her stars. She is ready for the outside world.

Enter BERTIE AND COMPANY

But the outside world soon proves more topsy-turvy than any stage production. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the protective walls of the Thèâtre, nothing goes as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between—

Nate: Her suave and swashbuckling pirate, now in mortal peril.

Ariel: A brooding, yet seductive, air spirit whose true motives remain unclear.

When Nate is kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him. She and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey aboard the Theatre’s caravan, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Along the way, they collect a sneak-thief, who has in his possession something most valuable, and meet The Mysterious Stranger, Bertie’s father—and the creator of the scrimshaw medallion. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

To celebrate the upcoming release, Lisa Mantchev stopped by C.J. Redwine's The Last Word blog with a fantastic interview and a contest. Visit The Last Word to read the interview and enter for a chance to win a copy of Eyes Like Stars or an ARC of Perchance to Dream.

The contest is open until Saturday, April 17 at 8:00. Stop by today to enter!

~Lily

At Long Last, It's Time

It's April, release month for the much anticipated 8th installment of JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Mine.

Oooooh, pretty...

From JR Ward's web site:

"In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates."

I am so damn excited!

To celebrate the release, Helena and I are selflessly pulling ourselves away from the confines of our much too busy lives to post daily leading up to the big event.

You know you're excited, too.

Well, we're excited at least. JR Ward has spent the month of April (and a few days in March) posting a new quote from Lover Mine each day on her message boards. If you're a fanatic like Helena and I, you'll want to be sure to check those out. Here is a sampling of our favorites in order of the day they were posted:

3/30: "She had him right in her arms, and for a brief moment of whimsy, she imagined that she was never, ever going to let him go."

4/3: "I refuse," Payne said again through gritted teeth. "I do not consent."

4/6: Her hand retreated from the weapon and went to her face, moving inch by inch, as if it took all she had in her to draw it upward. She covered herself the only way she was able, her shield of palm and fingers hiding her tears from him.

4/11: For some reason, on this evening, his tie to his father seemed strong enough to best the foggy ether of time and pull the two of them together, uniting them until... God, it seemed as if they were almost one person.


So, are you thrilled for the big day? Can't wait for a little John Matthew and Xhex? Dying to see the showdown between Vishous and the Scribe Virgin when he learns about Payne? What exactly are you waiting for?

~Lily

Next on the Menu: Lemur Stew

Dear Amazon, Penguin Publishing, and anyone else that stands in my way:

If I do not get my JR Ward ebook on April 27th, ten thousand lemurs will die!  Tell this guy to his face that everything will be all right.

Best wishes,
Helena